It is well known in the article packaging apparatus art to supply rows of abutted articles to a case packer grid for positioning on the grid for ultimate deposit into a carrier case placed below the grid, or for other action. Apparatus of the foregoing type is well known and grids for commercial embodiments of article packer apparatus of the type to which the present invention relates includes the grid and article packer apparatus as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,057,136 and 3,052,071. In such apparatus, slide support bars are provided in the grid and rows of abutted articles are fed into the grid over the slide bars by the pressure of the backup articles awaiting feed to the grid. In some instances, it has been difficult to obtain fast, positive flow of the abutted articles onto the grid and sometimes the grid may not be properly filled with articles because of the feed pressure by the articles awaiting feed to the grid not forcing the articles on the grid to the further end thereof. Or, the articles may slide onto the grid relatively slowly. Feed of elongated containers is especially difficult.
While previously known apparatus has functioned excellently in many instances, it is desirable to provide a more positive entry of the abutted articles onto the grid for deposit into a carrier case and yet to obtain rapid and controlled deposit of articles into carrier cases.
The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved grid for article packer or caser apparatus and wherein the grid and article slide support bars positioned therein can be inclined downwardly in a downstream direction to facilitate movement of streams of abutted articles onto the grid but where the grid and support bars are horizontal when articles are to be dropped therethrough for case filling action.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the amount of pushing forces required to move abutted articles onto a grid from a stream of abutted articles so as to insure rapidly completely filling the grid with rows of abutted articles.
Yet another object of the invention is to position the slide support bars in grids at downwardly inclined angles, which angles can be adjusted for facilitating slide action of articles onto the grid, dependent upon the forces available for moving the articles onto the grid, the material from which the articles are made, the weight and shape of the articles, etc.
Yet another object of the invention is to improve the action of article caser apparatus in rapidly filling grids with articles for rapid safe drop deposit of the articles into carrier cases.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a grid in article caser apparatus wherein the grid can be inclined downwardly for improved sliding of articles onto the grid to occupy the same fully with an array of articles for case filling action; and to elevate the downstream end of the grid to position it horizontally for article deposit action, which lowering and raising of one end of the grid occurs with each feed cycle of the apparatus and is positively controlled in relation to flow of articles and carrier cases into the filling head portion of article caser apparatus.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple, positive acting mechanical control means to regulate the position of the downstream end of a grid to obtain improved grid filling action with all types and shapes of articles, particularly articles that move onto the grid frame slowly or require extra forces for moving them longitudinally of the apparatus to move into and fully occupy a grid frame for ultimate drop deposit down into an associated carrier case.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.